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November 15th, 2008 in 45 Picture Sleeves, Classical, Illustration, Wanted Records by lpcoverlover | 5 Comments

Debussy’s “Children’s Corner Suite  Paolo Spagnolo, piano  Decca

(21 votes, average: 3.10 out of 5)

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5 Comments

1. #1 Way Back Now! Lets Go... says:
   November 16th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

   You know, I had a guy who cleaned out my chimney, look just like that. But I think his pants were checkered.

2. #2 Nicholas Dollak says:
   November 25th, 2008 at 10:30 pm

   The guy is a “Golliwog,” a very-not-PC doll that was a grotesque caricature of an African-American “minstrel” type. The last movement in Debussy’s “Children’s Corner” suite is “Golliwog’s Cakewalk,” intended to sound like ragtime. (Despite Debussy’s musical genius, he never quite managed to get the hang of ragtime.)

   Golliwogs are antique-collectors’ curiosities now, but used to be commonplace, and Debussy’s daughter had one. Keep in mind that, while racist by today’s standards, it reflected a popular attitude, and many of the people whose children played with them would probably not have thought of themselves as racist. I guess a modern equivalent would be privileged suburban “white” kids who listen to rap and act like urban “gangsta” types — they’re perpetuating a negative stereotype even as they romanticize another culture. (And just as many “black” kids romanticize the “gangsta” lifestyle today, so many “blacks” probably had no problem with Golliwogs back in the day.)

3. #3 655321 says:
   March 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 am

   Thanks Nicholas.

4. #4 Richard Astley-Clemas says:
   October 12th, 2009 at 10:36 am

   This just shows how the PC Brigade have tripped themselves up.
   Whats left after the Robertsons jam jar gollies were banned.The word itself? Song titles like Good Golly Miss Molly must also be altered. Though the Debussey title may be more difficult if all the copies have to be called in!!
   And no way can a music store sell a CD by a group called the Golliwogs even if they WERE the pre CCR
   God how I hate PC

5. #5 Richard Astley-Clemas says:
   October 12th, 2009 at 10:40 am

   Talking of PC is it considered offensive to call an Italian a WOP?
   Because virtually all of the Italian originated vocal groups in the States would be singing words like “wop wop boodly doo bop”
   Whixh is why it was called Doo Wop